Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer

What this video is

Released in mid-2009 to promote the Black River Killer EP on Sub Pop Records, the video arrived at the apex of the late-2000s indie folk and alt-country revival, when acts like Fleet Foxes, Iron & Wine, and Blitzen Trapper were reintroducing Dylanesque narrative songwriting to indie audiences. The song, from the critically acclaimed 2008 album Furr, draws indirect cultural reference to the Green River Killer and…

Why it matters

Represents a high-water mark for alt-country/indie folk music video craft in the Sub Pop catalog, using long-take filmic technique to match the song's literary, Dylanesque storytelling ambitions. Demonstrates the late-2000s trend of music videos functioning as short narrative films, particularly…

The director

NYU Tisch School of the Arts graduate with 20+ years in film and video production. Has worked across New York, Portland, and Los Angeles for companies including HBO and Sub Pop Records. Directed music videos for Blitzen Trapper, Loomis & the Lust, and…